Measuring cycle time through the use of the queuing theory formula (G/G/m)

Semiconductor manufacturers are required to reduce their product cycle times since many product embedded semiconductor devices often have a very short life cycle. One way to reduce cycle time is to purchase extra manufacturing tools. However, these tools cost several millions of dollars and facility space is limited. Another way to reduce cycle time is to improve performance of the critical tools. The second option is less costly and provides a significant cost savings for manufactures, which leads them to maximize efficiency. In order to determine which tools are critical and require analytical resources to optimize their performance, a system is needed to prioritize which are the critical tools. This paper will focus on Kendall´s Classification of Queues, and it will focus on the G/G/m Queue (general distribution arrival process / general distribution service process / m servers) (Kendall 1953).